It is February already - Black History Month, Valentines Day, Presidents Day – and the shortest month of the year. Yes, time flies…or drives. Charlie and I just drove back from South Carolina and a visit with his 98 year old wonder of a mother. She handed him a box which had belonged to Charlie’s father before we left. In it was, among other things, a Valentine card from 90+ years ago, carefully kept in this treasure box by an 8 year old boy. Handwritten on it was a declaration: “I said I would be Teddy’s girlfriend because he asked first, but I really like you best of anybody, Bill.” Then she listed the specific reasons why. There is no report of any further romance, but the symbol was precious enough to land in an 8 year old’s treasure box!
All year long we talk about the public life we dream of and how we think we can get there. We listen, learn, practice speaking our honest truth, and begin to see ourselves as siblings in the biggest and best family we can be. We love seeing walls crumble into open fields of discovery and new hope. And sometimes we are so in pain, or intent on changing what we see that is still hateful in the world around us, we forget to notice the Valentines we are receiving along the way – the symbols of devotion, appreciation, the ”‘I-got-your-back” actions that keep us bringing love to the fight. Those “Valentines” come as regular dependable service and participation – and as unexpected gifts from secret admirers.
In our “treasure box” this Valentines Day, Danita and I are placing precious, life-affirming testimonies from program Ambassadors like Jo Booker who know they have been transformed as they are transforming our social fabric, one circle at a time.
And let’s not forget facilitators like Doug Steele who continue to learn and serve to make our conversations effective; and of course Board Members who work hard to create and maintain a strong and healthy structure. Or secret admirers who have sent substantial checks and monthly donors who drop “little love notes” that feed the soul and body of our work. Our heart beats because of our professional consultants who have donated much needed legal, process, and development guidance; and program participants at First Presbyterian Church.
Hearts and flowers to our partners who have donated money, spaces, technical support, and subject expertise as speakers; And here’s a BIG HUG for our Program Planners and Circle Co-Conveners who do everything to make sure the personal growth is as deep and wide as it can be in our community and beyond.
Your gifts mean the world to us. YOU mean the world to us! We will hold our treasure box dear and eventually pass it on to the next generation with all of these Valentines inside as reminders of your part in bringing love to our world. It’s a BIG world – and a BIG box!
Sending our own CTTT-RVA Valentines to you,
MarshaandDanita
CRYS MATTHEWS'
INSPIRING CONCERT
NATIONAL DAY OF RACIAL HEALING
Crys Matthews, one of the brightest stars in this generation of "social-justice singer-songwriters", as she describes herself, performed an enlivening and inspiring concert in recognition of the Sixth Annual National Day of Racial Healing. CTTT-RVA, Richmond Pledge to End Racism, sister CTTT local groups, and the Virginia Museum of History and Culture sponsored the event. The January 18th concert was livestreamed from the museum via Coming To The Table - RVA's public Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Click here to listen to and share the recording of the January 18th concert. Then...Your donation to help cover event costs is so appreciated and needed! Click here to "chip in" at whatever level you are comfortable with and inspired by.
Click here to purchase Crys' music and other merchandise.
Click here to become a Patron of Crys' music via monthly Patreon donations.
Crys Matthews poses with CTTT-RVA concert-goers after the concert.
Foundation Laid and Walls Erected!
Thank you to all who participated in our Fall Campaign - Raise the Roof! We are honored and humbled by your generosity, financially and physically!
Over the campaign we had almost 100 donations for over $30,000 with some donations as large as $7,500 and some as small as $2.00! We treasure all equally as we believe your gift comes from your heart and your belief in our mission. Our mission is one of uncovering the truth of history and building relationships across the racial divide. As we facilitate conversations with those who seek to increase their own understanding of issues and to bridge the divide, we continue to be the conduit for those wanting to be part of the solution of moving beyond the legacy of slavery and repairing broken systems.
Thank you for your support and thank you for continuing to authentically show up for those clumsy and often uncomfortable conversations on race. As Crys Matthews, our National Day of Racial Healing performer says, "We are here to change hearts, not minds."
Please join us for this Coming To The Table - RVA 3rd Tuesday Gathering as we explore the challenges of living together and apart in RVA. Our focus will be the racial and cultural differences that contribute to segregated neighborhoods and what needs to happen to integrate them or at least create equity so we can all experience The American Dream. In our facilitated breakout circles, we will discuss the dynamics that often affect blended neighborhoods such as gentrification, white flight, homeownership as it pertains to wealth building, and culture consciousness. What happens when white people move into traditionally black neighborhoods and when black people move into traditionally white neighborhoods?. We will also share a clip of a new film produced by Thriving Communities, which tells the story of the Carillon neighborhood in Richmond and demonstrates what happens when a neighborhood takes matters into their own hands to intentionally create a blended community. Can longtime stakeholders and new investors live together and thrive? We will have guests from the Northside and Church Hill/Union Hill communities of Richmond join us in our breakout circles for this important conversation, as well as those from Richmonders Involved to Strengthen our Communities (RISC) and the Thriving Communities group.
Please register!
Let’s talk about "home" and the fences we build around it.
One night in the 19950's South, a truck loaded with prisoners in the back swerves to avoid another truck and crashes through a barrier. The rescuers clear up the debris and discover two prisoners have escaped, a black man shackled to a white man because "the warden had a sense of humor." The officers are told not to look too hard as "they will probably kill each other." The two missing men, despite their mutual hatred, are forced to cooperate since they are chained together. The film shows how their relationship develops and feelings toward each other change as a result of their situation. It won Academy Awards for Cinematography and Original Screenplay and was nominated for seven academy awards including Best Picture and Best Actor for both Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier.
In a unique combination of history and reflection, Seidule dissects the truth about the Confederacy, that its primary objective was the subjugation and enslavement of Black Americans. He directly challenges the idea of honoring those who labored to preserve that system and committed treason in their failed attempt to achieve it. Through the lens of his own life, as well as the culture that shaped his life, he carves a path to understanding why the facts of the Civil War have remained buried beneath layers of myth and even outright lies.
Brown Grove is a strong and proud 150 year old community whose historical importance has been passed via generations. The future of this community is now now being threatened by a 1.1 million square foot Wegmans distribution center as well as continued industrial encroachments by Hanover County in VA. Brown Grove needs your help to protect their community.
If you would like to join the Reparations Circle to learn more about opportunities with which you can help, please join us.
YOU are invited to participate in CTTT National's February 19th conference call that focuses on guided meditation as a tool for healing wounds related to race. This call will be hosted by a member of the CTTT Mindfulness Working Group. We hope you’ll join us!
New Black Owned Richmond Bookstore Opens this Month
"When a friend gifted Krystle Dandridge a stack of science fiction books for her birthday a few years ago, they never could have guessed they were planting seeds that would blossom into one of Richmond’s only Black-owned bookstores. Seeing herself reflected in a genre of books that rarely features highly melanated protagonists proved a revelation for Dandridge...."
Named in response to the raging national argument on race teachings, artist Jonathan Harris’ painting, Critical Race Theory depicts a non-specific white male rolling over images of Martin Luther King, Harriet Tubman, and Malcolm X with opaque white paint, in a gesture that boldly and beautifully communicates the white-washing of Black history.
An effort is underway to honor the only all-Black, Women’s Army Corps (WAC) unit to serve overseas in World War II. Legislation could be passed as soon as this month to award a U.S. Congressional Gold Medal to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.
“It was the best time in her life,” Portsmouth resident Anita Fletcher said of her mother Audrey Lucas Whitney, a veteran of the unit.
33 Little-Known Facts About Black History That You Didn’t Learn In School
From forgotten war heroes to overlooked inventors, dive into some of the most fascinating stories from the annals of Black history.
Throughout American history, Black cowboys have roamed the plains, Black explorers have traveled to unseen lands, and Black women have broken barriers as doctors and activists. Black history is American history. And these 33 Black history facts are just the tip of the iceberg. In the Black history facts gallery, you can also learn about Black Americans who turned their backs on racism in the United States and found fame abroad.
